“Hurry,” Tor warned, quickening his pace. “Raze is fighting that thing alone in the dark.”
A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. He’d not had a kind word or even a kind look at me since I’d arrived, but even so, I didn’t like to think of Raze being at the mercy of the vamp, injured or in trouble. I hoped with all my heart I wasn’t about to witness another Guardian casualty.
The sounds of a mighty scuffle carried as we reached a fork in the cavern, splitting off, one path narrow, the other not as constricted.
“Crap. Which way?” I asked.
“Dunno,” Tor replied. “It sounds like he’s trapped in both.”
“Okay,” I said, my heartbeat soaring. “How about you take the left, and I’ll take the right.”
“We shouldn’t split up.”
“I’m Supergirl, remember?”
“Yeah, but…”
I crossed my arms, dampening the light from my amulet, dangling between my boobs. “Are you worried because I’m a girl?”
“No.” He scrunched his face.
“Because you kissed me before?”
Red washed his cheeks.
I pecked him on one before disappearing down the right cavern. “Supergirl can handle herself.”
He sighed, and his footsteps retreated.
I kept my feet light, so as not to alert the vamp.
A noise came from the depths: the stomach-curdling sound of a carnivorous, predatory animal growling and snarling. Cold chills ran through my veins, solidifying my blood. Crap. What new horror had I fallen into?
Clutching my light, concealing a portion of it within my palm, I squinted into the darkness. I continued in the direction of the beastly growling. Soon, I came across two shapes in the cavern. One of them I recognized as the tall, lanky form of the escaped vampire, lying amid the rocks, with his throat torn so severely he was all but decapitated. My eyes widened, and I stumbled backward, hitting the wall, hand over my mouth to suppress a scream.
Ahead of me, the shape of a man—but not a man—a beast, stood on hind legs. Fur-covered the arms and legs, ears pointed upwards, a long snout closed, covering a full set of fangs, and glowing yellow eyes darkened. A werewolf. His head snapped in my direction, and he snarled viciously. A few feet away lay Raze’s clothing.
I scrambled along the wall. My mouth fell open, but no words came. What to do, what to do. Break the beast down chemically? I’d have to be quick…really quick. It had torn the vampire’s head off. Time stood still and I couldn’t move. I doubted I’d have much chance to mount a defense against it before it tore my throat out.
The situation didn’t permit a further reaction. The head and paws of the creature distorted and morphed, shedding fur and changing shape like clay or putty melting away. Then, Raze crouched over the vampire’s body, naked.
“Oh my god.” I gasped.
He glared at me with eyes almost as predatory as those of the wolf he had been a second ago.
My heart pounded and I swear I was about to feint from the motion.
“No one knows,” he growled.
And without another word, he snatched up his uniform and dressed. My eyes slinked over his muscled form, paying close attention to the bulge between his legs.
“You get a good enough look?” he asked.
“Yeah.” I exhaled, crouching in the dark, my blood racing in my ears. I’d just seen something I wasn’t meant to—something that obviously no one else in the team had seen. Implicit in Raze’s short, sharp words was the threat not to tell. No gantii had ever been a member of the Guild. Blaze, my instructor back at the Shadows had inherited djinn powers through a freak accident—a djinn by ability but not by nature. That was still human.
How had no one noticed Raze was a Lycan?
He brushed past me, leaving me standing with my mouth agape. Crap, I had to go back with him. I had two choices: keep his secret or expose him. I didn’t know which to do. His tracking skills proved useful to the team. They might be needed to hunt down Styx and the rest of the Varlax.
I blundered after him, running into him and Tor at the fork.
Tor moved across to hug me. “You found him, Supergirl.”
“Sure did.” I gave him a fake smile.
Raze glared at me as if daring me to unmask him. But I didn’t.
We continued back up the cavern to the main chamber where Knoxe had reunited the Mothman with his family. They huddled together chittering to one another. The father ran a hand over the head of his children and pressed their foreheads together.
“Did you dispose of the vampire?” Knoxe said to Raze, clapping him on the shoulder.
“Yep.”
“Good.” Knoxe nodded as if pleased. “The Mothman gave me a lead on the varlax.”
Raze patted the leader on the shoulder. “That’s great, man.”
A momentary relief took hold of me. With the rest of the team, Raze posed less of a threat. But that could all change if I opened my mouth.
I cast him a knowing look—more knowing than anyone else down here. This, I decided, was no time to be giving his secret away. The Guardians had other problems for the moment.
Sighing heavily, Knoxe said to me, “Gave me a little extra assistance there, did you?”
“Yep,” I said softly, searching his expression for congratulation, for gratitude, even for a hint of approval.
“Not a bad job,” he said.
Not bad? I reduced half the vamps to molecules! I guess I had to be satisfied with what little crumbs he gave me. No “Thank you,” not “Good thinking,” and certainly not “Welcome to the Guardians.” Just not a bad job.
Well, at least it was something…
To the group, he said, “We’re done here. Let’s move out and get back to the Guild.”
And without another word, he started back the way we had entered.
Pascal, Tor, and Raze followed their leader. I lagged a bit behind them, but not so slow that I would lose them.
Tor fell behind the group to walk with me. “So, what do you think, Supergirl, now you’ve come through your first mission as a Guardian? Think you did all right?”
I started to say something but snapped my lips closed. My gaze lingered on Raze’s broad and strong back. In the depths of those caves, I’d stumbled onto something he’d hidden from the rest of the group and most likely from the entire Guild of Guardians organization. They had no clue as to what they were harboring in their midst. The team thought him their comrade and brother-in-arms, traveling and battling alongside them. No one suspect whom or what it was they trusted with their very lives.
The Guild of Guardians was charged with hunting unearthly beings and keeping the world safe from them. Guardian leadership wouldn’t like having a gantii as a member, but I had no idea what they’d do if they learned of his true nature? How did he even get to be a Guardian in the first place?
Raze glanced over his shoulder. The smoldering in his eyes said he didn’t care for me knowing his secret. If I remained in this group, sooner or later it was going to come to words between us—words and perhaps more.
“So?” Tor pressed me, completely oblivious. “How do you think you did on your first mission?”
Hmm. If I said I passed with flying colors, they might scoff at the full-of-herself newcomer they didn’t fully trust or accept. But if I spoke critically of my performance, they might poke fun at my lack of confidence and see me as a liability. Damn. I was screwed no matter what I said. Oh well. I might as well be damned for what I really thought.
“I held my own out there,” I replied, not with conceit but with surety.
“Held your own, did you?” Tor smirked. He turned to Knoxe. “Hear that? Supergirl thinks she held her own.”
I searched Knoxe’s face for his reaction to my words. His opinion mattered the most. He watched me without much of an expression, and I wasn’t sure whether it was a good sign or a bad one.
Knoxe frowned for a moment, and I wondered whether he eve
r smiled. Then he said to me, curtly and simply, “So far, not bad.”
And there it was again. I could have taken that as faint praise. But this time he’d added, so far. It could have been my imagination, but I took from his response that perhaps, just perhaps, he might actually be expecting me to stay. Maybe he was even starting to accept me—just a little. His expression betrayed nothing more. For the moment, I had to be happy with that, because I saw myself sticking around for a little longer.
“I think we deserve a beer,” Tor suggested. “What do you say, Supergirl?”
“I’m up for that!”
And that was all the welcome I needed…for now.
THE END
*
SKYLER ANDRA is the author of the following series: Operation Cupid and Fire and Shadow series. The Guild of Guardians is a spin off from her Guild of Shadows college age academy series.
Sign up to Skyler’s newsletter to find out more about her releases http://eepurl.com/dCOqkb
Catching A Vampire
Grimalkin Academy: Catacombs #1
Laura Greenwood
Studying at Grimalkin has been Daphne's dream since she was a little girl.
With her best friend unable to do the simplest spells, her brother determined to find an old family spell to turn them into cats, and hot dates with a vampire, her hands are full enough. Add to that two other guys trying to get her attention, and a teacher that seems to hate her, and Daphne's school year isn't quite going to plan…
-
Catching A Vampire is a slow burn paranormal academy with a reverse harem theme. It is book one of the Grimalkin Academy: Catacombs.
Copyright © 2019 Laura Greenwood
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Characters, incidents, and dialogs are products of the author’s
imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events is strictly
coincidental.
1
Why do they have to make the chairs so damned uncomfortable? If it's to try and keep us focused on the lesson going on, then they clearly didn't know students. On a technicality, it's my choice I'm here, but that's not the point.
"Daphne Chambers?"
My name rouses me from my thoughts, and I look up at the board, trying to remember what we're learning today. Ah yes, how to approach a wild dragon. In theory, it sounds like a great thing to learn. In practice...not so much. Dragons are so rare now it's almost useless to learn. My time would be far better spent on learning more magic.
"Yes, Miss?" I echo.
Miss Feathertop gives me a withering look. No doubt annoyed I'm not paying as much attention as I should. "I was just asking you what the correct gift was to take to a red dragon." Her disapproving look gets worse with each word.
"That would depend," I answer. "Is the red dragon an actual dragon, or is it a shifter? Male or female? Fully grown or adolescent?" Being a smart ass probably isn't going to help me with my grade in this class, but all of my questions are valid. These things do matter.
"Let's say a full grown male who can't shift." She purses her lips, her anger coming through. She hates being shown up, but with so many of the class being smarter than she is, it happens regularly.
"In which case, I'd take a virgin sacrifice for him. But that's probably a bit frowned upon. Instead, I'd take four rubies and a lit torch, which should keep him distracted enough while I do whatever foolhardy thing I'm approaching a dragon for."
Her expression turns sour right in front of me.
I say nothing. I can't. When someone asks me a question, all I can do is tell them the answer. It's part of who I am.
My twin brother snickers from beside me, clearly amused by my answer.
Miss Feathertop turns back to the board, teaching the same mundane stuff she always does. I don't understand why we have to have to so many theory lessons. I'm not here to learn about how to approach various magical beasts. I'd have taken one of the many zoology classes Grimalkin offers if I was. Instead, I'm on a curse-breaking course. One that apparently includes a lot of theory and not a lot of anything else.
Hopefully, it's just a first-term kind of thing, because I don't want to be doing this for the next few years.
"Psst," a voice comes from behind me. A wand taps my shoulder seconds later, and a folded up piece of paper jumps out of the end and lands on my desk.
I roll my eyes. This kind of note passing went out of style years ago. Why is someone I don't even know passing me one now? It didn't make any sense.
Curiosity gets the better of me, and I watch with interest as the note unfurls on my desk, revealing surprisingly neat handwriting.
But more than that, handwriting I recognise.
"Bradley?" I whisper, craning around in my seat to look at the person sitting behind me. If the sheet of paper in front of me is anything to go by, I should find my thirteen-year-old-self's crush sitting right behind me and no doubt being as handsome as ever.
"Miss Chambers, are you paying any attention?" Miss Feathertop demands.
Ah darn. It's like that woman has a radar for me not paying attention. I don't get why. I always hand my coursework in on time. My attendance is perfect, and I'm at the top of our class.
"Of course, Miss," I respond, sitting back around. I hope Bradley will hang around long enough after class that I can get a good look at him as I'm not going to be able to see him during.
"Good. Keep your eyes on the front please."
I hold back an eye roll, but from Ryan's soft chuckle next to me, I'm not very successful at it.
Time to check out my note then.
Long time, no see - Bradley.
Great. All this fuss and it's just a boring one line note. If I'm going to get in trouble during class, then I at least want it to be for some kind of sonnet or epic love poem. I'll even take a terrible limerick over this. If he wants to restart some sort of friendship with me, then he's going to have to up his game.
I slip my wand out of my pocket, being careful to ensure Miss Feathertop isn't watching me again. Technically, we're not supposed to have wands out in this class. Yet another reason it's a complete waste of time. I'm here for the magic and nothing else.
Okay, that's a lie. I also want the fun. Though having my twin brother with me all the time kind of puts a damper on that one a little bit.
I tap behind my shoulder, sending a note to Bradley telling him to try harder, then swiftly hide my wand again. I'm not getting into trouble for his sake. Not yet, anyway. Maybe if he proves himself to me some more, I'll change my mind though I'm not going to hold my breath.
The lecture drones on. How anyone can find this interesting is beyond me. So much theory, not enough of actual interest. And why hasn't someone come up with a spell that can distract a dragon already? It strikes me that would solve a lot of the problems Miss Feathertop seems to be describing.
Perhaps that's an idea for what I can do after I graduate from Grimalkin. Though no doubt I'll change my mind at least a hundred times over the next three years. That was the way with coming here.
"I've been thinking about the spell," Ryan whispers to me.
"What spell?" I say back hastily, hoping it's not going to get me into trouble. Knowing Ryan, he'll have waited until someone was watching before whispering to me.
"The family spell."
I almost laugh before remembering where I am. "That's not real," I return.
"How do you know it's not?"
"Have you ever seen any of our family members turn into cats?" As far as I'm concerned, that's enough to know the legends about a Chambers family spell hidden in the halls of Grimalkin was nothing more than a lie made up by bored cousins.
"You know I haven't. But they could be doing it in secret..
."
I shook my head. Take it on Ryan to be the one believing in that. Without any proof at all. It doesn't make any sense for him to, not when he wants to become some kind of magical archaeologist. He loves old facts and things that can be proven, not rumours and supposition.
"Aren't you at least curious?" he asks.
"Where would we even look?" I hate to admit it, but the more he says, the more intrigued I actually am. We both know there's a chance I'll cave and go with him.
"There's supposed to be a secret library in the catacombs."
"How do you even know that?"
He taps his finger to his nose.
"Ryan..." I warn.
"I looked at the plans for the academy. Did you know there's a whole network of secret passages and rooms where the vampires study?"
"Everyone knows that." At least, they do now that vampires are more out in the open. They've been very secretive up until the last year or so. Apparently, a guild of human hunters had been hunting them down but has now been destroyed so they can re-enter society. I'm not too sure how it works. I'm not very up to date on vampire politics.
"Well, my guess is that it's connected to that."
"Won't you need a vampire to find out for sure?" I ask him.
"That's where you come in, sister."
Oh no. What does he have planned? I'm almost too scared to ask, but we both know I'll cave.
"I need you to catch me a vampire."
"And just how am I supposed to do that?"
Miss Feathertop taps on her board for the attention of the class. Oops. We aren't supposed to be plotting right now.
"Meet one. Date him? Convince him to help us. That part of the plan is completely up to you," he hisses out while the teacher talks about our homework assignment.
"Do you realise what you're asking me?" I can't believe I'm hearing this from my own brother. Not only is it a terrible plan, but it's also super creepy for him to even ask.
Paranormal Academy Page 53